Spike Lee is drawing parallels between fictional character Radio Raheem's death in Do the Right Thing with last week's footage of Staten Island resident Eric Garner as he was put in an alleged chokehold by a New York police officer.

The New York Police Department explicitly bans the use of chokeholds. Generally, police departments regard the maneuver as a form of "lethal force," said Michael Huth, director of training at the National Law Enforcement Training Center.

Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who put his arm around Garner's neck, was stripped of his gun and badge and put on desk duty.

Investigations by New York's district attorney and NYPD's internal affairs is determining if the police officer did in fact use a chokehold. The medical examiner has not yet determined Garner's cause of death.